Health Benefits of Ginger

Ginger is one of the most ancient spices in worldwide cuisine. It has become well-known for its various health benefits, which include its ability to boost bone health, strengthen the immune system, increase your appetite, prevents various types of cancer, improve respiratory conditions, aid digestion, eliminates arthritis symptoms, reduce excess gas, enhance sexual activity, and relieve pains related to menstrual disorders, nausea, and flu.

Ginger, also known asZingiber Officinale, is inaccurately referred to as “ginger root”, although the edible section sold in the markets and used in dishes, is actually the stem or the rhizome. In Western cultures, it is mostly used in sweets and alcoholic beverages such as ginger beer and ginger wine.

However, in Asian cultures, ginger is directly used by chopping it up or using its powder in traditional dishes and in soft drinks such as coffee and tea. Ginger’s irresistible fragrance is due to an essential oil in its composition that has been coveted and extracted by perfume makers since ancient times.

Not only is ginger known as an essence and a spice, it is known to be one of the oldest remedies known in herbal and aromatic traditional treatments, especially in China, India, and the Middle East. In China, it has been used for over 2,000 years for curing inflammation and diarrhea. Native to the Indo-Malaysian rain forests, ginger favors lush, moist, tropical soils for cultivation.

Its cultivation may have begun in southern Asia, but it has since spread to East Africa and the Caribbean. Ginger’s perennial plant grows bright red flowers that come in different shapes such as torch and honeycomb, and are often used in seasonal festivals in the South Pacific for decoration of stalls, houses, and even dresses.

Queen Elizabeth I of England, a fan of ginger herself, was the one to invent the gingerbread man in the 16th century, and it is now loved by millions of children (and adults) around the world. The gingerbread man was presented at a Royal ball, and several were made to resemble respected guests.

Today, ginger is on the FDA’s list of generally safe foods and is often used to mask the taste of bitter medicines such as cough syrups. Additionally, ginger’s health benefits have expanded beyond traditional knowledge to include a number of healthy boosts to your body.

Health Benefits of Ginger

The various health benefits of ginger are given below:

Bone Health: Ginger is known to boost bone health and relieve joint pain. Two years ago, a study was conducted by the University of Miami that recruiting several hundred patients from different backgrounds and ages, that suffered from symptoms of osteoarthritis. The patients were then weaned away from anti-inflammatory and analgesic medications for cleansing purposes. A week later, they were split into two groups; one was put on a placebo, and the other on ginger supplements. After six weeks of intensive dosage, a survey was conducted among the two groups. Both groups felt improvement, but 63% of the ginger group felt a notable pain reduction, while only half of the placebo group recorded notable improvement. The last test was for the patients to walk the distance of 50 feet, which proved to be the far easier for the ginger group, and their results showed twice as much improvement than those test subjects on placebos.

Ginger has a number of unique organic compounds which have actually been named gingerols, and these are powerful anti-inflammatory compounds, some of the most powerful that can be found in food. These gingerols have been directly associated with improvements in knee inflammation and associated pain, as well as suppressing the inflammatory compounds like cytokines and chemokines at the source, before they can even begin to affect the body. Ginger represents both a preventative measure and a treatment for inflammation and its associated pain.

Diarrhea: Ginger has been used since ancient times to cure diarrhea, and it was more recently proven by researchers that ginger indeed helps, since it prevents stomach spasms and gases that contribute to and stimulate diarrhea. In China, ginger powder has been given to those with diarrhea with great success for thousands of years; scientists have concluded that the ancient ways are indeed beneficial for this condition.

Excess Gas: Ginger is a very strong carminative, meaning that it induces excess gas to leave the body. Excess gas does more than leave you in an uncomfortable situation if you can’t hold your gas to yourself, it can also be a dangerous situation for your health. Too much gas built up in your system can force upwards and put pressure on delicate organs in the torso. A carminative like ginger forces the gas down and out in a healthy way, and also prevents additional gas from building up again.

Digestion: Ginger has been discovered to be a facilitator of the digestive process. The elevated sugar levels after a meal may cause the stomach to reduce its natural rate of emptying its contents. Ginger helps in regulating high sugar levels that may disrupt digestion and soothe the stomach, thus, maintaining its regular rhythm. Along with that, ginger has a number of compounds that improve the absorption of nutrients and minerals from the food we eat. This is why ginger is also frequently used as an appetizer or a aperitif, since it can stimulate the appetite while also preparing the digestive system for an influx of food. Ginger is popular in Asian countries as an appetizer or raw menu item for precisely that reason.

Prevents Cancer: One of the most exciting developments in the discussion of ginger and its impact on human health has been the positive correlation between the organic compounds in ginger and the prevention of cancer. Gingerols, those same compounds which give ginger its anti-inflammatory qualities, have also been shown to prevent carcinogenic activity in the colon that can lead to colorectal cancer. This is yet another way that ginger benefits the gastrointestinal system, making it such a perfect addition on the side of every meal. However, more recent studies have also connected these gingerols to apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells, thereby reducing tumors and the growth of cancerous cells, without harming the healthy cells around them.

Detoxifies and Disinfects: Ginger is good at promoting sweating in those who eat, which is always a good thing, in moderation. Sweat not only cleans out the pores and allows your body to eliminate toxins through the liquid, but research has also shown that sweat includes a germ-fighting compound, named dermicidin. It has been positively connected to reduced bacterial and viral infections in a person who sweats regularly, since it can create a sheen on the skin, a protective layer of previously unknown proteins!

Sexual Activity: A known aphrodisiac, ginger has been used for years to arouse desire and enhance sexual activity. Ginger’s scent has a unique allure that helps in establishing the sexual connection. Not to mention, ginger also helps increase blood circulation, hence blood flows more easily to the mid-section of the body, an important area for sexual performance!

Menstrual Cramps: Cramps are the body’s way of alarming an individual to some type of danger or damage. In this case, prostaglandins, which are hormones that function as chemical messengers, are the key activators of symptoms such as cramps, pains, and fevers. Scientists believe that high levels of prostaglandins contribute to increased menstrual cramps. Ginger helps by reducing the levels of prostaglandins in the body, hence relieving the cramps.

Nausea: Studies have concluded that ginger helps in curing nausea connected with pregnancy, motion sickness and chemotherapy. Its quick absorption and rapid regulation of body functions cures nausea without the side effects of modern medications.

Flu: Ginger has been prescribed to fight illness and infection for ages. Its soothing effect helps to reduce the body’s emergency symptom responses to the damaged cells in the body. While the white cells work on patching the cells and defending against the illness, ginger acts a barrier to the high levels of prostaglandins that induce fever, headaches, and cramps.

Other health benefits of ginger currently under research are its function in reducing heart diseases, arthritis, migraines, depression, and curing stress-related anxiety disorders.

Ginger may, at times, have side effects for those suffering from gallstones, since the herb incites the release of bile from the gallbladder. Therefore, if this sort of condition is expected, or if you have a history of gallbladder conditions, it is best to consult a doctor before consuming ginger.

What do you think?

Xhaling

Do you know the absorption rate of ginger?

Nonya Bigness

The absorption rate for any fruit/vegetable depends on your method of consumption. For example blending ginger vs juicing ginger. Juicing it will extract all the juice from this root and waste the fiber, making it a lot more easier to consume by ur body it absorbs almost instantly when drank. Blending your root, you will absorb it a little slower because all the fiber from the root is still in this mix however it is broken down from the blending process, but your body digest it slower

I have known about ginger since I was a child and have had interest in it until somewhere in my adulthood. Now I know it is one of my nutritional needs, I will pick it up again.

motisutar

Nice Information

asad jalal.pakistan

if some one wish to live active ,healthy,and without high blood pressur even with a lot of hhealth benefits,he needjust to take a one cup of ginger tea each night after one hour of dinner..

Sarah Richell

I love ginger. I just really came to appreciate it about a week ago when making a morning smoothie. Mixed with various berries and a banana in my Ninja, this made a desertlike morning smoothie. Plus, I have many breathing issues including asthma, chronic bronchitis, and COPD. I began to notice a cleansing of my lungs and how much better my breathing is. I also noticed my sinuses and allergies have improved tremendously! Wow, I think I will be sticking with my ginger smoothies.

Pepe Mas Canoza

The same thing happen top me. After smoking for 20+ years, stooping then taking ginger on a regular basis my breathing improved dramatically